Half to alexander davezac



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T.- KLBIMBIER.

I GAR GOUPLING. No. 556,990. Patented Mari 24, 1896.

( Attorney.

f (No Model.)

2 SheetsSheet 2.

T. KLEIMEIER. UAR COUPLING.

Patented Mar. 24, 1896.

25? Attorney.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TIIEODOR KLEIMEIER, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- IIALF TO ALEXANDER DAVEZAO, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,990, dated March 24, 1896.

Application filed- November 11,1896. Serial No. 568,513. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODOR KLEIMEIER,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Covington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Oouplers, of which the following is a specification.

The several features of my invention and the various advantages resulting from their use conjointly or otherwise will be apparent from the following description and claims.

In the accompanying drawings, making a part of this application, and in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a top view of a car-coupler embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view of the said coupling after the upper portion has been removed and showing the device locked. Fig. 3 is a View of the said car-coupling after the upper portion has been removed and showing the coupling device in the position the parts assume when the device is unlocked. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the draw-head when the parts are located as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of that side of the hook which is toward the rear end of the draw-bar. Fig. 6 is an elevation of that side of the driver which is next to the hook. Fig. 7 is an end View of the free or forward end of the governor. Fig. 8 is an elevation of the front side of the locking-piece.

Aindicates the draw-bar. As there is nothing novel about its construction in the present application, further description of it is unnecessary.

B indicates the shell of the draw-head. This frame has two projections, respectively markedO and D. The projection G carries the hook F, pivoted at F", to the said projection. This hook consists, in general, of the latch-piece F and of the hook F and is pivoted between these two parts at F to the frame B of the draw-head. The space in front of the middle portion of the hook and between the hook F and latch-piece F I have denominated by the letter S. The hook is provided with a groove F for the insertion of a link and with a vertical hole F for the insertion of the pin to. hold the link in place and thus enable this hook and its coupling to V be used in connecting cars by means of a coupling link and pin when for any reason my improved coupling is not to be used. The hook is provided with the projection or shoulder F which, when the coupling is unlocked, impinges against a projection O of the drawhead, thereby preventing the hook from opening too far in the process of uncoupling the draw-head.

The free end of the latch or tailpiece F is flat at F and a corner of this end is cutaway, thus forming a bevel F In the rear side of the lower portion of the latch is a recess F". The functions of the flat end F and of the beveled portion F and of the recess F will be hereinafter described.

The projection D is inwardly inclined from its forward end toward the center of the drawhead, forming an inclined bevel D substantially as shown. The space between the projections G and D of the draw-head is indicated by the letter E.

The draw-head is provided with a passage G, running at substantially a right angle to the axis of the draw-bar. In this passage is pivoted the rear end of a locking-piece H. pivoted at G 011 pivot G and whose inner and free end H is capable of movement in a vertical arc, of which this pivot G3 is the center. The pivot G is kept from withdrawal by holding-screw G When the hook F is locked, as .in Figs. 1 and 2, the fiat end F of the tailpiece of said hook is against the free end H of the lockingpiece H and is thereby locked. Elevation of this free end of the locking-piece lifts it up away from and out of contact with the end of the latch-piece F and thus unlocks the hook F and leaves the latter free to swing open and take the position shown in Fig. 3.

The elevation of the free end 11 of the locking-piece H is accomplished by means of a rod, link, chain, or cord or any other preferred means. In the present illustrative instance the lower end of a rod I is pivoted at I to the said free end II of the piece II. This rod passes up through a slot 13 of the drawhead. To the upper end of this rod a handle or other suitable draw-pull device is connected. Thus the operator engaged in uncoupling one car from another is enabled to lift the free end of the locking-piece and thus unlock the hook.

The under portion of the locking-piece is cut away back of the free end, forming the recess H allowing room for the governor J 7 to pass thereunder. I thus avoid throwing the locking-piece higher and save that extra height of the draw-head and extra metal which would otherwise be necessarily present. In other words, I give room for the governor to pass under the hook without changing the dimensions of the draw-head. I also provide that lower edge of the loeking-piece II which is in front with a rib II", beveled on its under side 11 for a purpose hereinafter indicated.

Immediately back of the latch-piece F is a governor J, pivoted by and at pivot J 2 to the frame B of the draw-head. The governor has a main portion J and an arm J The free end of the main part J 3 is curved, as shown at J to enable it to swing everywhere within the arc of a circle described from the pivot J 2 as a center. The vertical sides of the part J 3 are preferably as high as the vertical thickness of the latch-piece F of the hook, but the portion of the governor or driver around the pivot J is cut down or diminished, as shown in Fig. 5.

The upper front edge of the governor,which comes into engagement with the lockingpiece, is formed into a bevel J K The areal (free) end of the governor J has an elevated flange J which begins low at J and rises to a point J and then falls to the point J thus describing (when viewed in elevation) a gentle curved ascent and descent.

The governor J is to be automatically operated to drive the latch-piece F out from the position occupied by the latter in Fig. 2 to the position it (the latch-piece) occupies in Fig. 3 as soon as this latch-piece is unlocked by the elevation of the free end of the locking-piece II. Suitable means for this purpose, preferably a spring of any suitable material, is employed and combined in any suitable manner and at any desired point with the governor. The preferred mechanism for such automatic operation of the governor is as follows: To the free end J of the arm J is connected one end of a spring K (preferably a coiled metal one) whose other end is connected to the draw-head frame, preferably in channel G and at the bottom of the latter, at a point K thereon. This spring K therefore lies below the locking-piece II.

For the sake of condensation and compactness and economy of parts and of metalI provide a groove L in the lower portion of the draw-head, and this groove is in alignment with the groove G aforementioned. The spring K lies in this groove L as well as in groove G.

I will now describe the mode in which my locking device operates. Suppose the hook is thrown back and locked. When the operator desires to unlock the hook, he lifts the free end H of the locking-piece if out of 011- gagement with the end F of the latch-piece F of the hook F. This releases the tailpiece F and leaves it free to be moved. The governor J,throu gh the agency of the coiled spring K, strained between the fixed point K and the arm J 4 of the governor J, now acts and moves the governor forward. The latter, impinging against the latch F of the hook, moves the hook forward into the position it occupies as shown in Fig. 2. In thus moving, the outer portion of the governor has passed beneath the locking-piece, but not altogether from under the latter. As a consequence the free end H of the locking-piece II rests on the upper portion J 7 of the governor near the point J thereof. It will be observed that the governor can go no farther forward, because the tailpiece F prevent-s it. The tailpiece F is in turn prevented from farther movement forward by the shoulder F of the hook striking the projection O of the draw-head. The hook is now open and ready to be coupled with the complementary hook of the coupling device of an adjacent car. hen the car is to be coupled to an adjacent car having a hookcoupling, the operation of coupling is as follows: Either of the cars is moved toward the other or both are moved toward each other. The hooks F of each coupling respectively enter the opposite space S. The opposite hook then pushes back the latch-piece F which latter in turn pushes back the governor J'. The latter in moving back passes on under the free end 11 of the locking-piece II until it reaches the position shown in Fig. 2, at which time the flat end F of the latch-piece F will be opposite the vertical plane of the said free end II of the locking-piece H, and the said free end ll descends and comes directly opposite and in close conjunction with said face F of piece F, and thus locks the latch-piece F and the hook F in the position shown in Fig. 2. What is true of one draw-head is true of the opposing draw-head provided with my invention. In case the spring K breaks at any time the hook will be free to unlock, when the cars are separated, and the hook will operate successfully to look, by means of the follow ing provisions operating in the following manner, to wit: The hook being unlocked, the parts being in the position shown as in Fig. 2, when the cars are pulled apart the latch-piece F of the hook F is moved out and forward, but the governor is not forced out and forward as in Fig. 3, because the spring K is not acting, and it (the governor) will remain in the position shown in Fig. 1. The free end 11 of the locking-piece II not being supported by the governor (as it would be were the spring acting) falls down on a level with the latchpiece F Now when the hook F is being locked the latch-piece F is forced back, and by means of the beveled face F of it striking the bevel F of the lip of the free end H of the locking-piece lI lifts the said locking-piece If and passes thereunder until by its areal movement the free end of the latch-piece F comes out from under the free end of the lookingpiece H into the position shown in Fig. 1, whereupon the free end of locking-piece H falls and, engaging the free end of the latchpiece, looks it and the hook F. It will be noticed that the latch-piece F when unlocked covers the flat portion of the governor at and around the pivot J the recess F in the back side of the latch-piece permitting such operation.

My invention is economical of manufacture, simple in construction, easy and certain of operation and efficacious in result. Its advantages are many and obvious.

\Vhat I claim as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A car-coupling having a hook pivoted substantially as shown, a vertically-oscillatory locking-piece H, in groove Gof the drawhead, and a governor J, pivoted at J 2 to the draw-head, and a spring connected to the governor and to the draw-head in the groove G, for impelling the governor against the latch of the hook, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination of a pivoted hook, a locking-piece for engaging the hook, a groove G in which the lockingpiece acts, and a governor for propelling the latch-piece of the hook forward, when the lat ter is unlocked, the pivoted governor for moving the hook, and the draw-head provided with a groove L, and a spring K lyingin said groov'e L below the governor, and in the groove G below the locking-piece, substantially-as and for the purposes specified.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head, a coupling-hook pivoted thereto, a vertically-oscillatory locking-piece, for engaging the latch of the hook, a governor J and a spring for impelling the latch-piece of the hook, the governor having the curved flange J high at J and low at J and J for elevating the locking-piece, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4:. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head, a coupling-hook pivoted thereto, a vertically-oscillatory locking-piece, for engaging the latch of the hook, a governor J and a spring for impelling the latch-piece of the hook, the governor having the curved flange J high at J and low at J 8 and J, for elevating the locking-piece, the locking-piece having the recess H on its under side, for the passage thereunder of the governor, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. In a car-coupler, the combination of the draw-head, a coupling-hook, a vertically-0scillating locking-piece, a pivoted governor having at the front upper edge a bevel J for acting in conjunction with the locking-piece, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

6. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head, a coupling-hook, a vertically-oscillating locking-piece, having a recessed under portion H a pivoted governor having an arcal free end provided with an upper curved flange J J J and an upper front bevel J substantially as and for the purposes specified.

7. In a draw-head, having a pivoted coupling-hook, a locking-piece, anda pivoted governor J impelled outward by a spring, the governor being cut down at and in the vicinity of the pivot, and the hook having an undercut rear recess F for overlapping the pivotal portion of the governor when the hook is locked, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

'8. In a draw-head, the pivoted couplinghook having the oscillating latch-piece F the rear upper edge of whose free end has a bevel F and a vertically-oscillating locking-piece having the bevel H projecting out from the front lower edge of the latter, and on a level with the bevel F and a pivoted governor adapted to receive the projection H H substantially as and for the purposes specified.

9. In a draw-head, with shoulder-stop O, the pivoted coupling-hook having the stop F the hook part F and latch-piece F and the oscillating looking-piece H, and pivoted governor adapted when the locking-piece is out of engagement with the hook to press forward the hook-latch F and pass under the lockingpiece, and being checked by the stops aforesaid, toremain under and uphold the lockingpiece, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

THEODOR KLEIMEIER.

Attest:

WM. E. JONES, K. SMITH. 

